This invention relates to an improved baler and, more particularly, to a round bale baler which includes apparatus and controls for wrapping around bale with twine, sheet or netting.
Apparatus or equipment for forming round bales from hay or the like have been commercially available and are the subject of numerous patents. Such farm equipment is now commonly used for baling various types of crops. Round bales formed by such equipment were initially formed without any type of wrapping or twine to maintain the integrity of the round bale. It was determined, however, be beneficial to provide means for wrapping such bales with sheet, netting or twine in order to maintain the integrity of the round bale for storage and transport and to prevent weathering or deterioration of the bale. Equipment was consequently developed for such wrapping, and various patents have been issued which teach mechanisms for wrapping twine or sheet about round bales. Patents which discuss or teach the application of twine about a round bale include the following:
__________________________________________________________________________ PATENT NO. INVENTOR ISSUE DATE TITLE __________________________________________________________________________ 4,169,410 Richardson October 2, 1979 Independently Controlled Twine Knives 4,158,331 Campbell, et al. June 19, 1979 Center Pivot Dispensing Apparatus 4,182,235 Harig January 8, 1980 Method and Arrangement For Binding Round Balers 4,282,803 Cools August 11, 1981 Twine Wrapper For Round Bale Forming Machine 4,306,494 Nishibe et al. December 22, 1981 Twine Device For Rotary Balers 4,354,429 Boldenow et al. October 19, 1982 Bale Wrapping Apparatus 4,402,259 Viaud September 5, 1983 Binding Device For Cylindrical Bale Forming Baler 4,427,399 Koning March 20, 1984 Twine-Wrapping Mechanism For Mechanism For A Large Round Baler 4,656,931 Van Den Bossche April 14, 1987 Apparatus For Automatically Wrapping Round Bales EPO 041 444 A1 Viaud May 26, 1981 (European) __________________________________________________________________________
In addition, mechanisms and procedures have been developed for application of plastic sheet or netting about bales. Patents which relate to this technology include the following:
__________________________________________________________________________ PATENT NO. INVENTOR ISSUE DATE TITLE __________________________________________________________________________ 4,409,784 Van Ginhoven et al. October 18, 1983 Method of Wrapping Roll Bales With Plastic Film 4,517,890 Campbell et al. May 21, 1985 Twine Wrapping Apparatus For A Roll Baling Machine 3,910,178 Eggers et al. October 7, 1975 Apparatus For Wrapping A Round Bale Formed In a Round Bale Forming Machine 4,656,930 Van Den Bossche April 14, 1987 Method of Wrapping Round Bales 4,173,112 Meiners November 6, 1979 Apparatus For Wrapping A Cover Material Around Round Bales 4,296,595 Meiners October 27, 1981 Apparatus For Wrapping A Cover Material Around Round Bales __________________________________________________________________________
Typically, the prior art patents teach mechanisms incorporated in the round baler apparatus which discharge sheets of plastic or netting into the round bale forming mechanism. The plastic sheets or netting are when wrapped around the round baler by continued operation of the baler mechanism. The wrapped bale is then discharged from the baler. The baler may include a separate twine feed mechanism so that twine may be fed into the bale forming mechanism and wrapped about the formed, round bale at the completion of bale formation.
The mechanisms in the referenced prior art patents, though useful for the above identified and discussed purposes, do not provide the benefit of easily changing from a twine wrapping operation to a sheet or netting wrapping operation. Additionally, the mechanisms are rather complex and may require a great deal of service. Applicants have developed an improved apparatus, controls and methodology wherein the apparatus is adapted to use substantially the same mechanism and controls to initiate bale wrapping with either twine or alternatively sheet in the form of plastic wrap or netting. Thus, it is possible for a farm operator to convert from one type of round bale wrapping material to another very easily.